2024-07-11 07:33:19
‘I’ve been waiting for this moment all week’ – Ollie Watkins told the media after taking England to the Euro final. It was getting dark in Germany. The clock ticked past 90 minutes. The match between England and the Netherlands was heading to extra time. But before the whistle of the referee, Ollie Watkins appeared as the hero of England’s victory.
Southgate brought Watkins to the field in the 81st minute after raising English captain Harry Kane. England took a 2-1 lead with Watkins’ goal after 9 minutes. In the end, the semi-final was decided by that goal. Aston Villa emerges as the hero of England’s victory. Watkins’ journey has not been easy by any means. Nine years ago, Watkins got the chance to play in League Two from non-league Weston-super-Murray. After that, the 28-year-old footballer got the Three Lions jersey step by step.
Did Watkins ever think that England will reach the final by scoring in Dortmund? Hear the rest from his mouth, ‘You can dream but I’m a realist. Honestly, I never dreamed of such a thing. I can’t lie. It’s great to score for England. But I never thought that I would do it in such a big competition.’
Watkins didn’t even imagine that Harry Kane would get a chance to replace him, ‘I was wondering if there would be a chance for me to change? If the opportunity arises, when will I be dropped? The opportunity came and I made the most of it.’
The former Brentford striker had only played 20 minutes in a major competition before this match. But Watkins was confident before taking to the field, ‘I was telling Dean Henderson (sub-goalkeeper) on the bench, I can do something different today. That is why it is necessary to send me to the field. I took the chance and managed to score. We are now in the final. We have only one more match.’
Their opponent in the final on Sunday is Spain. If England can win the title this time, they will win the Euro crown for the first time.